Being around homeless people makes you sad and you propose to live in a major urban area? I guess if you really tinted the windows in your SUV and never left your gated enclave this would be a viable lifestyle, but otherwise you should either A) inure yourself to human suffering or B) donate to a homeless shelter to assuage your guilt.

How does the Tenderloin compare with parts of Hollywood? Being around despondent people really depresses me, and the time I've spent in the immediate Hollywood area really depressed me.

I apologize. By despondent, you could just mean poor people, sad people in general, or only depressed destitute people, though I can't admit I've met many cheerful, non-schizophrenic homeless on the streets of san francisco.

No, I meant something a little more specific. I don't mind homeless people at all (Boise is surprisingly full of them - the rumor is that SLC and Portland are paying to have them bussed here - the weather is nice, and the authorities haven't started harassing them yet), and I certainly don't mind poor or destitute people.

Whenever I'm in Hollywood and walk around the area I see some of the saddest things: people with no legs crawling about, people sleeping in their own piss and vomit, people crawling on their hands and knees scrubbing the Walk of Stars with a toothbrush for no reason, strung out people, etc. I don't make any judgment on them - it just depresses me. I wonder how they got there, why they got there, and why it is they remain in their situation (for whatever reason it may be). But it really depresses me, and there isn't much I can do about it right now. Call me a bleeding heart, whatever.

It isn't wholly a matter of just ignoring them, or pretending they're not there (although I'd rather not be anywhere near cracked out or drugged out people), but would I rather not live immediately around them? Yes.

I've lived in both the 'loin and in Hollywood (although ten years ago for the latter). I'd say that the 'loin is rougher than most parts of Hollywood. It really feels like a homeless enclave. It's known as a "containment area" in S.F. -- meaning the cops tolerate a lot in this area so as to prevent it from spreading to other areas (this is hearsay, but seems to be true). Most people avoid the tenderloin unless there's a specific reason to go there.

With that said, it's easy to get out of the 'loin and find a really nice/cool/fun area, whereas in Hollywood you have to travel like 100 miles before you find anything decent.

Has anyone here had a full-time job (9-5) and managed to put in studying time for the LSAT during the week? And if so, how many hours did you put in a week for studying? Also, when is a good time to study, early in the morning, or after work?

Is it even a good idea to work full-time and study for the LSAT if the job pays well?

I have a chance to take a well-paying job at 40K a year right now, or I can stick to my tutoring for 20 an hour which pays me way less a month. I'm debating to take the well-paying job and just quit if I can't do my studying the way I want. My other alternative is to get paid way less tutoring (and have significant hours studying and doing other things which may be useless) and only have money for gas/bills. Can anyone give me some positive feedback on my situation?

Thanks,Che

I worked full-time last year while prepping for the LSAT. Improved my score by about ten points in less than a month, and I know I could have done more. I decided on law school at the last minute, so didn't really know what I was getting into. If you're working 40 hours a week, you could definitely put in 20+ hours a week studying, if you're committed to it.

Okay, so I've been obsessively checking the Davis status checker and I'm starting to get a bit nervous. Currently, their admitted student site says that 770 files have been updated. According to their Application Status site, they have 3412 total applications.

Seeing as how they have already admitted 770 people, that is already 22.5% acceptance rate. They historically hover around 23% or so. So that means, they really have only 30 more slots to give out +/- a few applications.

I've been complete since December and still not a peep from them! (3.4 and 159). I know it's a bit of a reach, but they're my top choice!

What do you guys think? Does their acceptance rate include waitlists? Will this last batch all be waitlist? I know there are folks out there as obsessive as I am.

Indulge me.

I thought last year was around 28% acceptance, but I'm not sure..

Anyhow, I got waitlisted with a 3.76/166. I think it's because I was a music major, but I was apparently auto-admitted at Hastings (two week turnaround, same app. date).

I withdrew from the waitlist immediately, so that's at least one spot freed up..

Also, maybe the recent USNWR will help your chances a tiny bit. Davis & Hastings are now only separated by two spots, so perhaps that could be an advantage for people waiting on Davis. That's a bit of a stretch, but you never know.

Your feelings are a sign of weakness. Potential employers/your law student peers will sense and exploit this.

Consider guidance counseling as a vocational path.

Thanks for the unsolicited and uninformed advice but I think I'll stick with law. I also figured it wouldn't take long for someone to post an example of exactly what I'm talking about, so thanks again.

Just think of it like spam. Ignore it. Trolls depend on your reactions.

...Will you be stuck with the life of a public defender making $30k and driving a Corola? Maybe...

I've met two public defenders in the SF Bay Area, and both were Boalt grads. I always thought PD jobs were actually kinda tough to get. Maybe this varies from county to county. Anyone have any first-hand info?

Hastings is a second choice for a lot of people. After feeling disappointed about the w/l from Berkeley, I had to come to terms with Hastings. Once I got over the "inferior" ranking –which some say will improve– I realized what a gem Hastings really is. My reasons for loving Hastings are often grounds for other poster's criticisms. I never liked college towns and prefer rolling urban. Whenever people criticize the TL as being a sh*t hole, I can't help but get more excited about meeting people who enjoy that part of the city as much as I do. Large class size=more diverse and dynamic student body IMHO. Public service opportunities and west coast contacts abound. As much as Boalt would have been a great academic experience, I am more excited kicking it in the TL and the participating in the PI clinical opportunities afforded by Hastings. Hastings is not for everybody. I just wanted to start a dialogue for people who are as excited about Hastings as moi. See some of you there.

I'm pretty excited about Hastings, but not so much about the 'loin. I've lived on the perimeter of the 'loin in the past, and the destitution really can get to you after a while. So I'm going to stay in the East Bay and take the 30-minute BART ride. But I realize that some people thrive in that type of environment. Are you going to stay in the tower? I checked it out a couple weeks ago and it seems pretty nice, although I didn't get to see any of the apartments.